NHL trade deadline

February 25, 2008

Someone asked me to give my take on this, so here goes:Richards is a great scorer, although this season he's dipped a little bit. Could be that the guy just needs a change of scenery. There's no doubt he can post some big digits. Hey, the move worked for Mike Ribeiro, didn't it? He's 27 years old, so it would be one more great catch in that age range (Morrow (28), Ribeiro (28) and even Turco at 32).Guessing the Bolts want a goaltender, so you lose Mike Smith. The Stars obviously would lose a very reliable backup, but how long can you hold on to his talent? He's going to be a starter soon enough.

Anyway, here's the catch: That price tag is huge, as Richards will make $7.8 million in each of the next three seasons. Now, that being said, the Stars could make it work. Next season they will not be paying Bill Guerin ($2.25M) anymore. Mattias Norstrom's contract the Stars picked up from L.A. ends this season (he's earning $4.25). Take those two items, and throw in the fact that the salary cap will go up again a few million. Voila, you have room.

All in all, the only thing that really bothers me is that high-dollar contract. He's a very talented guy, and I think he would fit in great with this group. It's going to come down to whether the Stars are willing to pay that big price. Player-wise, the Stars probably won't have to give up the prospects they covet.